Cajun Crawtator Casserole

I first crossed paths with the late Ron Zappe in the 1980s when he was a struggling local business owner trying to gain entry into the competitive snack foods market. He was the epitome of the Cajun entrepreneur–full of spicy ideas and a taste for adventure. He succeeded in turning that small chip-making outfit in Gonzales, Louisiana into Zapp’s Potato Chips, a national brand.

As the story goes, his wife came home from the grocery store with a bag of kettle-fried chips and sparked the idea for a new career. True to his Louisiana roots, it was the spicy Cajun recipe that created a differentiation for his products and it was a creative branding approach that separated him from the national competition. Crawtator potato chips were born and were an instant success.

With a couple of bags of chips in my pantry, I set out to create a dish that would celebrate the fun and joie de vivre of Ron Zappe. My goal was to combine ingredients that could be either a main dish or a casserole suitable for any occasion. After much trial and error and according to reviews from my friends, I have a winner – Cajun Crawtator Casserole.

This recipe is inspired by the flavor of those chips that mimic the spiciness of a Cajun crawfish boil. With the contrast of the crunch of Crawtators and the creamy richness of the potato and crawfish, this Cajun Crawtator Casserole has a depth of flavor and texture that elevates it to the high heavens.

Take the bags of Crawtator potato chips in your hands and squeeze together until the contents are crumbled and the pieces broken down. Open the bags and pour into a container and reserve.

In a medium pot over high heat, add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender. Remove and drain.

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until the onions turn translucent and add the parsley, garlic, and rosemary. Add the wine and continue cooking until the alcohol evaporates, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the heavy cream and continue cooking until reduced by half.

In a large mixing bowl, add the yogurt, cream cheese, Jack cheese, and eggs. Stir together and combine. Add the potatoes and with a spoon break up the potatoes into smaller chunks.

Combine the two mixtures and stir to incorporate. Add the crawfish tails and stir to combine. Season with Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.

(Note: You have options — this dish can be baked in a large oven-proof casserole dish or in individual ramekins.)

Pour the mixture into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Smooth out and sprinkle with green onion tops and top with the crumbled Crawtator potato chips.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve with crusty French bread.

Notes

Crawfish tails are my choice for this dish, but small raw shrimp would be a suitable substitute. I usually recommend substitutions for hard-to-get Cajun ingredients, but I’m hard-pressed to suggest a stand-in for Zapp’s Crawtators. Buy them online at CajunGrocer.com and you will be rewarded. Enough said.

3.5.3217

Crunchy and creamy, Cajun Crawtator Casserole is a new Cajun recipe classic.

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Thanks, George.

Comments

This looks so wonderful but in my neck of the woods, crawfish and Zapp’s are non-existent. Shrimp is good but it’s not crawfish. The local Winn-Dixie has a sale once per year and we devour every bag of Zapp’s we buy. Next time I will hoard 3 bags and make this recipe!

Four years ago today, my father passed on to his great reward. Today my family is gathering, as we always do, to honor his memory with good times and great food. It brings a smile to my face to see that his memory lives on and inspires such flavorful creations. In the immortal words of Ron Zappe: “Eat more chips!”.

Eric –
Thanks for sharing your heartfelt comments. Your father was a once-in-a-generation, original Louisiana man. He shared his passion for our colorful state with the world and we are all blessed for it. All our thoughts go out to you and your family today as you remember your dad.
George

Whenever I travel home to Louisiana, I try to get a bag or two of Zapps to bring back with me to the Netherlands. I guard them carefully throughout the journey and store them gingerly in the overhead compartment on the plane. Sadly, there remains not even a crumb of the last bag from my most recent trip, or I’d be making this recipe now (though with a some other seafood, perhaps crab, since crawfish are not that common here). Saving this recipe with hopes of making it someday…and signing up to follow this blog. 🙂

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About George Graham

I’ve lived in South Louisiana for all my life. My passion is the rich culinary heritage of Cajun and Creole cooking, and in the pages of Acadiana Table, my mission is to preserve and promote our culture by bringing you the stories and recipes that make it so unique. Read More…